


People We Love

by WarriorBeeoftheSea



Series: Carry On Countdown 2019 [13]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Canon Compliant, Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), Coming Out, DEC 07 - Parental Figures, M/M, Post-Book 1: Carry On, Pre-Book 2: Wayward Son, Supportive Parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21688057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarriorBeeoftheSea/pseuds/WarriorBeeoftheSea
Summary: “Do you want to talk about it?”He folds his hands in his lap and stares at the carpet. I hear him draw in a breath. Pause. Let it out. His eyes dart to mine and then back to the floor.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: Carry On Countdown 2019 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557757
Comments: 32
Kudos: 268
Collections: Carry On Countdown 2019





	People We Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovelessinmanhattan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelessinmanhattan/gifts).



> My darling Loveless, this is a ridiculously late birthday fic for you. I hope you like it. You are so incredibly _loved_.  
> [(Lovely art by vkelleyart)](https://warriorbeeofthesea.tumblr.com/post/189543463592/carry-on-countdown-day-13-parental-figure-todays)

Malcolm insists on retrieving Basil from school.

_"It’s his birthday weekend! He always spends it at home, with his family.”_

I push gently.

_“Don’t you think he might like to spend it with his friends this year? They’ve been through a lot together.”_

I can tell something is off as soon as Basil steps through the door.

The children scramble for him, crowding around his legs. Except for our dear, sullen Mordelia, who hangs back scowling. (She so wants to be like her brother, our dear, sullen Basil.)

He smiles at the hoard at his feet, but his eyes aren’t in it. “I missed you, too, you monsters.” He leans down to give each of the twins a kiss, and scoops up the baby (a toddler now, really).

He nods coolly at Mordelia and she can’t help the grin the spreads across her face. Damn. She had a good run on that sullen indifference. Possibly a new record for time.

“Mother.” He kisses my cheek, and I press my palm to his face.

“Basil.” He draws back, the baby tangling a fist in his hair.

I extract the sticky fist and pull the little one to my hip. “Happy birthday, my love.”

He smiles, and closes his eyes.

Malcolm bursts in through the door with Basil’s weekend bag and claps him on the shoulder. “Welcome home, Basilton.”

–

It’s near lunch when I step into the library and find Basilton talking on his mobile. He’s standing in a corner, leaning against a bookshelf.

He cups his hand over his mouth when he sees me and I almost don’t hear him when he whispers into the phone, “I’ve got to go.” A long pause. “I miss you.” It sounds like a sigh.

 _Ah._ I see.

I wave to Basil and start to leave the library, but he shakes his head. He ends his call and flops onto the sofa.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your call, love.” I sit down on the sofa.

He shrugs and straightens up next to me.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He folds his hands in his lap and stares at the carpet. I hear him draw in a breath. Pause. Let it out. His eyes dart to mine and then back to the floor.

“Honey. Do you want to tell me about the person you’re seeing?”

He sucks in a breath and his eyes flick over to me. This time they stay locked on my knee.

“How do you know I’m seeing someone?”

I pause before answering. _Tread carefully. Don’t frighten him away._ “Just a guess.”

He stares at his hands in his lap. A long pause. A deep breath. “I… am. Seeing someone.”

 _I know,_ I want to say.

I don’t say it.

I shift closer and put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s his name?”

He tenses under my hand. Doesn’t say anything. All at once I worry that I’ve read him wrong. That I’ve read the last decade of his _life_ wrong.

“Simon.”

Oh. _Oh._

My mind scans back to Christmas, and to Basil holing up in his room with Simon Snow. Making up the couch in his room. _Did Simon really sleep on the couch,_ I wonder idly. I try not to laugh.

He’s still staring at his hands, bracing for my reaction. _I can’t mess this up._

“That’s lovely.”

His head snaps up and he’s gaping at me.

I slide my hand from his shoulder to press my palm against his upper back.

“Basilton. I know I’m not your mum. But I am _a_ mum, and I love you like my own child. No matter what.”

He closes his eyes and nods.

We’re both quiet for a long moment.

“I just want you to be happy. Your father and I, _we_ want you to be happy.”

He nods again, more vigorously, and his face twists. His eyes are still squeezed shut.

I rub his back and wait for the tears.

“Love. It’s ok.”

He nods again. Sucks in a shaky breath. Opens his eyes. “I know.” He swipes roughly at the tears as they fall.

“You wanted to visit him in Hounslow this weekend?”

He nods.

“He’s still having a rough go of it?”

Basil swipes at his eyes again. “I don’t know what good I could even do. He doesn’t need me. He’s got Penelope Bunce taking care of him.”

I tighten my arm across his back. He’s gotten too big for me to hold him like I used to. I have to lean into him to fit my arm around him now.

“Love, I… I know something about loving someone after the worst thing that’s ever happened to them.”

His breath catches in his throat. He stares at me a long moment.

“What do I _do_?”

My heart hurts for him. I tighten my arm and lean up to kiss his brow. “I don’t know. There’s no manual for this.”

He nods and closes his eyes again.

We’re quiet a moment. I’m doing calculations in my head. Time and distance and motorways.

“Come on. We’re going to Hounslow.” I stand, and Basilton looks at me blankly.

_“What?”_

I give him a soft smile. “Sometimes we need to hold the people we love. Even for just a moment.”


End file.
